Centrifugal separator.



P. R. ABEEL. GENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY27, 1909.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910' 2 SEE EBB-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS F. R. A-BEEL. GENTRIFUGAL SEPARATQR. APPLIUATION FILED JULY27,1909.

969,591 Patented Sept.;6, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNE V8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FOLAND ROMEYN ABEEL, 0F TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FoLAND R. ABEEL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of WVashington,have invented a new and Improved Centrifugal Separator, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the separation and saving of gold from sand orother refuse material, and has for its object to provide novel detailsof construction for a gold separator, which operates by centrifugalforce, which is simple, convenient in service, and that will separatefine gold from sand, or other debris that is passed through the machine.

This invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a sectional side view of the improved gold separator device;Fig. 2 is a partly sectional end view taken substantially on the line2-2 in Fig. 1, seen in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 8 is atransverse sectional view of the separator substantially on the line 33in Fig. 1; Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional View, substantially on theline t1 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional viewof details taken on the same line with Fig. 1.

In the drawings 10 indicates the hollow body for the device, formedpreferably of metal, and having a coniform shape. The smaller end of thebody 10 is formed having an inwardly turned flange 11 which may becurved at the corner a where it joins the body, as shown in Fig. l. Theopposite end, which is of greater diameter, is flared outward at b, andthen return bent at 0, forming an annular recess, and providing aninwardly turned flange 12 thereon, as shown at the right in Fig. 1.

A spider frame is provided for the rotatable support of the end of thebody 10 having greatest diameter, said spider consisting of a hub 18from which radiate a plurality of arms 14:. The wall of the coniformbody 10 is perforated at suitable intervals near the flaring wall 6,and, as shown, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 27, 1909.

side ec ges of each pair of rings.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

Serial No. 509,833.

end portions of the arms 14 are outwardly inserted through saidperforations and secured therein by j am nuts (Z, thus disposing the hub13 centrally in the body 10. A similar spider frame is provided for thesmaller end of the coniform body 10, comprising a hub 15, and arms 16,that radiate from the hub, said arms passing through perforations in theperipheral wall of the body 10 near the flange 11 thereon, said armsbeing secured in place by jam nuts c, whereby the hub 15 is centrallypositioned in the body 10.

The hubs 13 and 15 are bored centrally in alinement. These bores are ofan equal diameter, receiving a shaft 16"-, that is extended at each endfrom the hubs, and is therein secured by suitable means. Two similarcolumns 17, that are vertically erected at proper distances apart on asuitable base, are provided at their upper ends with boxes 17 whereinthe shaft 16 is journaled, thus disposing said shaft horizontall O n anextended end of the shaft 16, a pulley 18 is mounted and secured, whichis adapted to receive a driving belt (not shown) that has engagementwith a source of power and rotary motion for the rotation of the body10.

The coniform peripheral wall of the separator body 10 is formed having aseries of spaced tubular receivers 19, that are circumferentiallyarranged thereon, integral with said wall, and preferably are of anequal diameter. The spaces that intervene between the tubular receivers19 afford similar interior annular recesses f in the peripheral wall ofthe separator body, said recesses each being located partially beneath arespective receiver 19, so as to leave an opening thereinto, as shownclearly in Fig. 5. In each annular recess f a sectional ring 20, 21 isfitted and secured by a plurality of bolts and nuts h, as shown in Figs.1, 4, and 5.

The rings that occupy the recesses f are of such thickness as adapttheir inner sur faces to be disposed flush with the adjacent innersurface of the separator body 10, and their width is such that a narrowslot or openin i is formed between the adjacent Preferably each ringconsists of three segments 20, 20, 21, of about an equal length. Theends on of the ring segments 20, 20, that impinge upon each other areformed radially, and at right angles with the side edges of said rings,so that said ends have contact throughout their surfaces. The oppositeends n of the ring segments 20, 20, are beveled, as appears in Fig. andthe ends of the third ring segment 21, are correspondingly beveled, sothat said sloped ends may be inserted between the beveled ends n of thering segments 20, 20, thus completing the ring, that is substantiallysecured in place by the bolts and nuts h.

It will be seen from the foregoing description, that the series ofsectional rings 20, 21, when secured in the recesses f, provide a seriesof spaced annular slots 6 that respectively have open communication withthe corresponding tubular receivers 19.

It will be noted that with the shaft 16 rotatably supported in ahorizontal position, and the coniform shape of the separator body 10,the side of said body that becomes lowermost while rotated is inclineddownwardly from the smaller end of the receptacle to the larger endthereof.

In preparing the improved separator for use, a suitable quantity ofquicksilver is introduced within the smaller and higher end of thereceiver 10, and the latter is rotated at a proper speed.

The gravity of the liquid mercury, coacting with the centrifugal forcethat results from the rapid rotation of the receiver body 10, causes themercury to pass down into the receivers 19, through the annular slots2', this operation successively filling the receivers 19 and slots 2'from the smaller end of the body 10 toward the larger end thereof, untilall the receivers 19 and slots 5 are filled.

Any surplus quicksilver that may have been introduced within the body 10in charging the receivers 19, will pass into the an nular recess at thelarger end of said body, and will indicate that the apparatus is incondition for operating on gold bearing sand, or other granular materialthat may contain gold in flakes or grains.

The gold bearing material is mixed with water in proper quantity, and isfed into the smaller end of the coniform receptacle 10, that is nowrotated with sufficient speed to produce centrifugal action, and causethe gold and waste material to pass slowly down the inclined surface ofthe hollow body 10.

As the material containing gold in flakes or grains, is distributed in athin layer within the receptacle 10, and the valuable metal is heavierthan the waste material it is mixed with, it will be seen that whengranules or flakes of gold arrive at the upper most slot 2', its weightwill cause it to enter the slot and pass thence down into the receiver19.

The continuation of the operation will change the positions of particlesof sand and gold that did not enter the first slot 2', and may enter thesecond slot from the upper end of the body 10.

The progressive sliding and rotatable movement of the material beingoperated upon, will remove the gold from the waste material, and thelatter will pass into the recess or annular chamber at the larger end ofthe body 10.

It is to be understood that as the gold that is heavier than thequicksilver amalgamates in certain proportion with the quicksilver, suchportion of the latter as does not combine with the gold in the receivers19 will be crowded out of the latter into the slots 6, and thus be inposition to receive values that may enter said slots.

The operation is continued as long as it is considered profitable, whichdetermined by testing the material that passes into the annular recessat the larger end of the apparatus.

When about to remove the amalgamated gold and mercury from theapparatus, the rings that are secured on the inner side of the coniformreceptacle 10, are successively removed, commencing with the one nearestto the smaller end of the same.

It will be noted that the segment 21, should be the first section ofeach ring removed, which will permit the free removal of the othersections 20, 20 thereof.

The displacement of the segmental rings 20, 21, opens wider annularslots into the respective receivers 19, which permits the removal of thegold and quicksilver amalgam therefrom.

Obviously, when the apparatus has been denuded of the gold it has saved,the segmental rings are to be replaced, commencing with the one nearestto the large end of the body 10, and when all are replaced, there may bea filling of quicksilver introduced into the slots 2' and receivers 19,as hereinbefore explained, for resumption of the operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A centrifugal separator comprising a hollow body, ahorizontally arranged shaft mounted to turn and carrying said hollowbody, receivers on the side wall of the body having imperforate outerwalls and each communicating by an opening with the interior of thebody, means for reducing the width of said opening, and means forrotating the shaft to turn said body and the receivers.

2. A centrifugal separator, comprising a coniform hollow body open ateach end, a series of spaced tubular receivers formed on the side wallof the body and having imperforate outer walls, each receiver having anannular opening between it and the interior of the body, means forreducing the width of said opening between the body and each receiver toformv a narrow slot opening directly into the receiver at thelongitudinal center thereof, and means for rotatably supporting saidbody and the receivers.

3. The combination with a coniform separator body, consisting of a sidewall, and a series of spaced tubular receivers formed on said side wall,and constructed to receive and retain quicksilver, each receiver havingan annular opening between it and the interior of the body, of a seriesof closing rings secured within the separator body, one over eachannular opening and reducing the width thereof so as to form a narrowannular slot, the inner surfaces of said rings being flush with theinner surface of the separator body.

at. The combination with a rotatably supported shaft and means forrotating said shaft, of a centrifugal separator, comprising a coniformhollow body having an inwardly turned flange at its smaller end, and anannular pocket formed at its larger end and terminating in an inwardlyturned flange, two spiders, each having a central hub and radial armsthereon, said arms engaging respective ends of the hollow body, and theshaft engaging the hubs, and a series of spaced tubular receivers formedon the hollow coniforni body, each receiver having an imperforate outerwall, and communicating with the interior of the body.

In a centrifugal separator of the char acter described, the rotatablysupported coniform hollow body, the series of spaced tubular receiverson the exterior of the hollow body, each receiver being constructed toreceive and retain quicksilver and having an annular opening between itand the interior of the body, the wall of the separator body havinginterior annular recesses in the horizontally arranged coniform hollowbody open at both ends, a series of circumferentially arranged receiversformed on the ekterior of the body, the said receivers havingimperforate outer walls and constructed to receive and hold quicksilver,each receiver having independent communication with the interior of thebody to permit the quick silver to pass from the body into the saidreceivers, and means for rotating the body and the receivers.

7. A centrifugal separator, comprising a horizontally arranged coniformhollow body open at both ends, a series of circumferentially arrangedtubularreceivers formed on the exterior of the body, the said receivershaving imperforate outer walls and constructed to hold quicksilver, eachreceiver having communication with the interior of the hollow body, andmeans for rotating the body, the said body having an inwardly turnedflange at its smaller end, the larger end of said body being flaredoutward and then return bent forming an annular recess or pocket.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FOLAND ROMEYN ABEEL.

\Vitnesses O. D. OOCHRAN, INEZ Cool-IRAN.

